1

GCP (All Containers): Section 7: Preparation for packaging & On-line checks

Institute of Brewing and Distilling

General Certificate in Beer Packaging
(GCP)
Section 7
Preparation for Packaging and On-line
Checks.
7.1.Empty Container, Packaging Materials & Plant Preparation
(a) Empty Container and Packaging Materials

Many packaging operations utilise Supplier Quality Assurance principles for

purchase and supply of packaging materials, but there is always a need for
spot checks to ensure correct standard of material has been supplied (in
terms of grade of material, decoration standards and colour matching, any
indication of poor storage prior to delivery or delivery damage).

It is also an important feature of start up procedures to ensure correct sizes of

containers, labels, crowns etc are available and in sufficient quantity for the
appropriate volume of beer to be packaged.

With regard to preparation of containers for filling, the following examples

illustrate the appropriate procedures to be applied:

Preparing kegs for filling.

• De-palletiser
•
• Empty keg inspection

• Check for no fulls, no caps and all the correct orientation

Preparing bottles/ cans for filling.

• Depalletiser
• delayer, crate turner, pallets checked and transferred to
magazine for reuse

• Decrater

• heads contain inflatable cups which grip the bottle necks

•
Crates are rinsed, inspected and are refilled
• Empty bottle inspection operation monitored routinely and recorded

© The Institute of Brewing and Distilling (GCP Revision Notes Version 1 2008)
 2
GCP (All Containers): Section 7: Preparation for packaging & On-line checks

• Sorting

• Height, colour,

• Presence of a crown

• Off line if high levels of ‘ foreigners’

Appropriate records of all packaging materials should be kept against a time

log or check sheet (e.g. pallet tickets for incoming new NRBs and cans and
the time of application to the filling line); batch codes of crowns, ends, labels,
and secondary packaging materials.

(b) Plant Preparation

In general terms, the following pre-filling checks should be carried out:

• Beer supply in specification

• Beer temperature correct

• Filling level under control

• For bottling, Filling tubes set correctly

• For kegging, fill meters correctly calibrated

• On-line fill checks calibrated and operating

• Heads filling evenly

• Steady supply of containers to fill

• Continuous operation

• Quiet fill with no foaming

• Consistent filling performance

• Clean filler

© The Institute of Brewing and Distilling (GCP Revision Notes Version 1 2008)
 3
GCP (All Containers): Section 7: Preparation for packaging & On-line checks

Transfer of Beer to the Filler

After the beer has been carefully prepared, it now needs to be handled gently
so as not to spoil it at the last hurdle. So often things go wrong, because
operators take short cuts, and then end up with a disaster which leads to poor
quality and waste. Some filler installations are extremely sophisticated but the
same basic rules apply.

Ensure that the filler is properly cleaned. In general a full CIP is required
once each week as an absolute minimum. This may also be required if
changing over, for example, from a stout to a lager. Otherwise the filler
needs to have been properly rinsed using hot and cold water. The crowner
must also be cleaned with special attention paid to the chute to prevent
crowner dust congealing

Purge all pipework and filler (all channels) with cold de-aerated liquor from
the tank which is providing the beer

Isolate the filler

Change to beer (first make sure that it is the right beer and that it has been
checked!), and displace all water with beer up to the valve isolating the
filler. This should be done using tank pressure only i.e. not using the beer
pump

Blow out all water from the filler with the gas being used for filling (usually
CO2 but could be N2 for nitrogenated beers). Allow pressure to build up
three to four times to ensure filler is emptied of water

Having set up the filler for filling, bring beer gently into the filler against the
filling pressure – pump now required

Having set the filler up in preparation for filling, it is then normal to remove
at least the first two rounds off the filler to ensure that there will no diluted
beer going to market.

Other On-line Checks at Start up and Change-overs

In addition to ensuring correct start up of the filling operation, other checks

must be made to ensure that the correct containers are in place (correct size,
correct brand, etc), plus checks on correct labels and date coding and correct
secondary packing.

Similarly procedures should be in place for changeovers of product and/ or

pack size.
At a product change-over, the first beer must be completely run out an d
flushed through. If the next beer to be filled is significantly different in
characteristics, a full CIP procedure may be required.

© The Institute of Brewing and Distilling (GCP Revision Notes Version 1 2008)
 4
GCP (All Containers): Section 7: Preparation for packaging & On-line checks

Dissolved Oxygen Control

Since a key feature of any container filling programme is to eliminate pickup of

dissolved oxygen, it is worth summarising here the by procedures required
prior to starting beer transfers to filling machine, both at initial start up and at
product change -overs

• Ensure bright beer tanks have low dissolved oxygen levels

• Use de-aerated water for dilution and chasing beer (less than 0.02ppm)

• Maintain pipework and pump seals - NO leaks

• Check gas mains for loose unions; it is possible to pull in air by venturi
effect.

• Use cold de-aerated water to purge (completely replace air/rinsing water)

pipework and filling machine before start up

• Purge from all bleed points (which must be from top of rising main) at top of
pipe at main valve and at all filler points

• Blow out all water from filler with pure CO2

• Bring in beer slowly to ensure absence of fob Again purge line up to main
valve ensuring that only pure beer remains in the line

• Gently bring beer back into the filler against back pressure

• If appropriate, ensure pre-evacuation and vacuum are working, plus all gas
mains open

• Check dissolved oxygen levels in filled containers routinely through

packaging run.

© The Institute of Brewing and Distilling (GCP Revision Notes Version 1 2008)
 5
GCP (All Containers): Section 7: Preparation for packaging & On-line checks

7.2. On Line Checks and Record Keeping

Packaging operations often construct a Quality Control sampling plan from a
HACCP study, which helps identify the correct sampling schedule with regard
to product safety and due diligence.

In addition to analytical requirements, there are effectively legal aspects to be

added, such as alcohol content, fill levels and date coding.

Further, “appearance” factors are important such as beer properties, like

flavour and clarity and also package quality factors (correct labels, crowns,
can ends, package integrity.

Examples of possible QC schedules are given below:

Basic QC Schedule - Bottle/Can

Process Stage Analysis Frequency Comment

Unpasteurised Alcohol /Haze Start/end BBT
pH Start BBT
TIPO * Start up +hourly
CO2 Start up +hourly
Pasteurised Taste 1 pack/BBT
Contents 5 bottles/cans per Statutory
hour requirement
Crown Crimp Hourly Bottles
Seam Analysis Each shift Cans
Pack integrity Hourly Sec. Packaging
by teardown
Correct: can, end, First and last to
bottle, crown, trade
date code

* Total In-Package Oxygen content

© The Institute of Brewing and Distilling (GCP Revision Notes Version 1 2008)
 6
GCP (All Containers): Section 7: Preparation for packaging & On-line checks

Basic QC Schedule - Kegging

Process Stage Analysis Frequency Comment

st
In keg Alcohol 1 + last /BBT
pH + DO Start BBT
Visual haze Start +end/ BBT
CO2 Start +end/ BBT
Dissolved N2 Start +end/ BBT Brand specific
Taste 1 keg /BBT
Correct: label, First and last keg
date code, cap, to trade
label adhesion
Contents 1 keg/head/ Statutory
line/day/ size requirement

Basic Microbiological Sampling

Process Stage Analysis Frequency Comment

Flash pasteuriser Total counts Continuous Plus process
membranes control data
Racking main Total counts Continuous
membranes
Full keg Aerobic + 5 per week
anaerobic +
forcing test
Unpasteurised Total counts 1 / line/ shift Checks loading
bottle/can on pasteuriser
Pasteurised Temperature Continuous Redpost monitors
bottle/can profile: PUs + process control
data

© The Institute of Brewing and Distilling (GCP Revision Notes Version 1 2008)
 7
GCP (All Containers): Section 7: Preparation for packaging & On-line checks

Following QC schedules does not guarantee no failures and results should

be continually investigated in order to achieve improvement.
Key areas to monitor continually include:

• Pasteurisation

• TIPO results

• Teardown checks; to monitor appearance and integrity of secondary

packaging and overall pack presentation:
- Brand, volume, %ABV
- Best before date
- Product code for traceability
- Labels in alignment and unscuffed, crowns and cans not rusty or
scratched

• Organisational design (increase quantity of on-line checks by correctly

trained operators)

Quality management is dynamic, being a continuous cycle of:

• Monitor
• Evaluate trends and non-conformances
• Implement corrective and improvement actions,

to achieve Continuous improvement.

© The Institute of Brewing and Distilling (GCP Revision Notes Version 1 2008)